Chicago Cubs fans are understandably excited about 20-year-old Cuban prospect Jorge Soler, who the Cubs spent $30 million to sign. Soler has had a strong performance since being promoted to Class-A Peoria and, via Alex Ruppenthal of Comcast Sports Net, he put on an entertaining hitting display in batting practice at Wrigley Field Saturday:
With President of Baseball Operations Theo Epstein and the entire Cubs’ brass standing behind the batting cage, Soler took about 30 swings and hit five home runs, two that left the park and sailed to Waveland Avenue. Most of his other swings produced hard line drives to left field.
Soler was trying to whip his bat around so hard that it hit the batting cage net several times on his follow-through. The baseball cliché "the ball jumps off his bat" definitely seems to apply to Soler.
Soler also noted that he's learning English and he will be roommates with Cubs 2012 first-round pick Albert Almora in the Arizona Fall League.
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